October 2009 heralds the release of '5', a double CD marking Hyperdub's five years of life as a record label. Honouring past, present and future in equal measure, '5' is comprised of one disc of prior highlights, and one of freshly-composed material contributed by Hyperdub artists and close friends. A series of five 12-inch EPs featuring a selection of the new tunes will be issued, one per week, leading up to the release of '5'. The initial pressing quantity of these EPs will be dictated by preorder demand, and none will be repressed, nor will they be made available digitally, before the complete CD collection is on sale. 'Hyperdub 5.3 EP' contains two previously unreleased tracks : Quarta330 - 'Bleeps From Outer Space' and LV - 'Turn Away'.

October 2009 heralds the release of '5', a double CD marking Hyperdub's five years of life as a record label. Honouring past, present and future in equal measure, '5' is comprised of one disc of prior highlights, and one of freshly-composed material contributed by Hyperdub artists and close friends. A series of five 12-inch EPs featuring a selection of the new tunes will be issued, one per week, leading up to the release of '5'. The initial pressing quantity of these EPs will be dictated by preorder demand, and none will be repressed, nor will they be made available digitally, before the complete CD collection is on sale. 'Hyperdub 5.1 EP' contains three previously unreleased tracks : Kode9 & The Spaceape ft. ChaCha - 'Time Patrol', Black Chow - 'Purple Smoke', and Flying Lotus - 'Disco Balls'.

Universal Vibes is proud to present its first label compilation, a retrospective looking back at their first year of digital and vinyl releases and also previewing a few new faces and forthcoming releases. With it's freestyle music policy, taking in broken beats, dubstep, deep house, techno, hip hop, funk, soul, disco and all points between, label founder Paddy Freeform describes the sound as Future Soul Music for the dance floor. The album showcases music from Surra, Andy Ash, Poussez, Jafar and Bobby Strobe, The Onas, Strange Worlds, Jaffasurfa and Young David. Label head honcho Paddy Freeform gets involved producing a few exclusive re-edits and remixes under his Soulsonix production alias, as well as mixing the CD. 'This Is What The Universe Sounds Like Part 1' rounds up the deep dancefloor side of the label's output. Part 2 will feature the more downbeat, laid back sounds and will be released later in the year.

In an out of season holiday camp on the coast of England, cult music festival All Tomorrow's Parties serves up heady combination of alternative music. Crazy golf and chalet-living; all curated by a single band or artist. This post-punk DIY bricolage uses material generated by the fans and musicians themselves, on a multiple of formats including Super8, camcorder and mobile phone, to capture the uncompromising spirit of a parallel music universe.

An Taobh Tuathail Vol. III' is the new compilation CD from RTE (Ireland) cult underground music show An Taobh Tuathail ("The Other Side"), which celebrates ten years on the air this year. The 15 track compilation is once again compiled by mainman Cian 0 Ciobhain. In his own words O Ciobhain says: "The CD features torch songs from contemporary female vocalists such as Essie Jain and Roshi ft Pars Radio. It also includes elegiac electronica from Gdsank-based composer Jacasek, and The Caretaker, an artist currently residing in Berlin, whose explorations in music and memory have intrigued me. There's a beautiful song from Austin band Peter & The Wolf which has been played regularly on the show since its release in 2006. Also, to have stellar songs from established artists like Animal Collective and Circlesquare on the disc means a lot to me. Closer to home, the CD includes tracks by Dublin's Rollers/Sparkers, Kilkenny's R.S.A.G. and Galway's Loner Deluxe and B-Movie Lightning (aka Mike Smalle, previously of Cane 141, whose tracks were featured on the other two compilations). Elsewhere, Mount Kimbie's magical dub-excursion 'Maybes' was the first track played on the show in 2009... so let the disc speak for itself...

Varying in styles on an overall contemporary bass theme, the debut release from the fantastically-named Surely Bassy Records comes in the form of a four track EP featuring four new producers. The first track is provided by London based producer Glentron. 'Cast a Light' sets the tone, with shuffling drums, chopped vocal harmonies and soothing bass line, exploring similar minimalist garage ground and in equally effective fashion as the mighty Spatial. Mepham takes it deeper with his contribution, 'Shack'; a haunting soundscape of atmospheric delayed techno with pounding bass, eerie sampling and progressive undertone, riding an emphasised stepper rhythm. Isaac Martin delivers a more experimental house edge with his track, 'A New Dawn (Oh Baby)'. It's driving 2-step beat and warm jets of rising melodic synth are sure to drive the dancefloor, while propulsive sub and soundsystem / deejay effects add extra flavoursome punch. Leeds based A. Ashdown closes the EP with his deep and melancholy drift through gallic themes on the shuffling, Clubroot-esque 'Stems'. So far these tracks have been received well by DJs and producers, with Glentron's 'Cast a Light' featured at number two in Dom Servini's Allo Love Ten chart for November, and the release has been gaining radio play on London's Colourful Radio and Sub FM, as well as plenty of club play across the country. With several more equally high grade questing releases in the can, Surely Bassy is definitely a label to listen out for in 2011.

Debuting in summer 2004, Werk carefully selected an array of unkown talent with which to launch their first assalut on record buying senses. Mixing a blend of influences from London grimey business through to Detroit beat-driven technoid re-constructions, electroid mayhem, nervously modified break mashups and padded bass-stab devastation - marvel at the wondrous cut-ups of Actress (the sound of Robocop's anaerobic workout routine on crack), Byte Stripes (a media revolution via the medium of 10/8 jungle - killerstyles), Ben Codec (algorhythms on toast and ash-tray muesli bezerkerisms), Cut Out (genetically modified fidget-hop), Mr. Lizard (made from a sample patch based on the contours of Noel Edmonds' mullet!) and Format.K (tonic for the anguish of a thousand ecstasy-ravaged bird-brains). A record with a beginning, middle, an end and even a nervous breakdown.

Thirteen exclusive cuts from the best the UK's electronic music scene has to offer, including the likes of Si Begg, Neil Landstrumm, Plaid, King Cannibal, Cursor Miner, Beckett & Taylor and Dub Kult. Originally only available as a subscription series direct from the label, a handful of copies are still unspoken for - there will be no repress and apart from a five track sampler, there is no digital, as Uncharted love the black stuff. Additionally, this is the only place you can pick up a vinyl copy of Plaid's amazing remix of LJ Kruzer's "Huba" which recently featured as the closing track on legendary US DJ and producer John Tejada's mix album for Fabric.
Complete sets will shortly be worth a mint on ebay, this is your last chance to grab them!

Area recordings has gone from strength to strength since it's inception, wielding high quality releases building on it's signature sound of deep beats, bass and musicality. The fifth release pushes the label's philosophy further with the introduction of six new artists to the roster. While a whole host of imitators re-reach for the sine wave and switch off their L.F.O.s, Essex's DCult has been sitting in the shadows perfecting his own sound. 'Face the Sun' harks back to the classic dubstep sound of rolling beats and bass clearly marking him as a producer to watch, travelling a narrow path between light and dark, mellow and fierce as his beats and bass will prove time and time again. Australia-based 3rdeye's 'Yonaguni Dreams' entwines sweet ethereal beauty with hard pulsating aggression. His detailed productions point to a wide range of influences - the lush chords and crackles of dubtechno, the atmospherics and melody of deep drum and bass, to the stark minimalism and enveloping sub bass of early dubstep. This is a mere glimpse in to the deep hypnotic sonic collages still to come from this truly original bass music wizard. Aeon is a Croation bass music producer who has one foot firmly on the accelerator. As an introduction of the sounds sweeping across the Adriatic Sea, 'Different Quotes' brings a different vibe to the label. Keeping things musically inclined with sweet vocals, lush pads, stuttering percussion, weighty drums and pulsing bassline, Aeon brings the funk representing the diversity of the Area sound to the fullest. Safire is an Australian producer who has been energizing the masses with his sets of deep and tech funk DnB and dubstep for many years. His 'Disperse' showcases a more tech-influenced side to dubstep with a dense amalgamation of sound hitting on elements from all artists featured on Area Recordings. Safire's music breathes much needed fresh air, showing that energy and aggression can be created with style, musicality and big production values often overlooked by the masses. Coming from the home of Area Recordings, Krytikal is a Birmingham based dubstep producer whose unique productions have an amazing sense of calm hidden amidst his deep tribal rhythms. 'Selfish Ways' is a stunning introduction to his work, bringing different meaning and context whenever it is played. Equally at home smashing up a dance floor as it is relaxing to over morning coffee, is tracks fully represent deep bass music. The finale of this musical revue comes from the dynamic duo that is Fused Forces. Showcasing a mellower side to their production style, 'Ocean Dawn' brings a soulful ambience with the sound of crashing waves and weighty drums building into and gut rumbling bass. A cracking track perfectly fitting into any forward thinking 140bpm DJ's set.

Its one year on from our decision to start our new record label, Nang. Despite reaching hitting new levels in the pecuniary sensibility department, we have an upcoming schedule full of some of the most amazing music.

Much in the way our Daddy label Tirk produces its best-of / new&cool compilation range TIRK01, TIRK02 etc... we have followed suit. 'The Array' is a new series of all that is great in Nang world.

A big part of 2009 for us was the Space project. We've spent some of the craziest and most entertaining evenings with JP Iliesco Space head-honcho through the year... It would have been sacrilegious to open up with any other tune. Here is Magic Fly (for the last time we promise).

Slovenian Sare Havlicek is one of the aforementioned upcoming highlights, he is studio bound but his laid back groove 'Lazy Summer' slinks in as track two. Next up are Balearic brothers Foto with their sultry, rolling-moroder-bass smoocher. UK based Phelps lightens proceedings with his whimsical synths and irrepressibly happy synth-disco, 80's groover.

Scene cool-cat Toby Tobias is next up with his floor led stomper 'Rock You Will'. Manchester housers Weekender follow things with the olfactory titled 'Danny Pong' (no we don't know who that is either). Label uber-pals Sugardaddy present their Ilya Santana re-rub of Love Honey and Tony Underground includes his 'Omission'.

Genre-chameleon Pete Gooding and cool customer Chris Coco pair up for the next track, 'Night Dance' winging its Balearic-disco way to full release in the late Spring. Weighing in on the disco-legend-ometer Beppe Lodas MC1 project is next, Counter is all soaring synths and italo groove. We slow things down to round off with the exclusive 'Flip Flop' from Sorcerer and the haunting, down-tempo, smoulder of 'Power Of Prayer' from Ricardo Jefferson & Very Jon.

Volume 1 of the electrounique compilation series. Electronic and unique! The series does a great job of digging out the sort of cuts that might have played big on the cosmic dancefloor many years back. A very cool collection of hot and obscure club tracks.

Young Adults is a new housier-flavoured label started by the good folks behind Friends Of Friends. As part of a growingly endangered breed of all vinyl musicologists, L.A.'s Young Adults opt to let the records play in this digital age of instant gratification. The first installment in their commitment to pressed wax platters culls a collection of spectrum exploring body music from cohorts both near and far. Starting off the festivities is the golden child, Suzanne Kraft, whose feel-good stunner 'Jus U' exemplifies why Running Back was oh so eager to add his talents to their ever impressive roster. The sunsoaked strut that shimmers on this sampler track is just a teaser of things to come on Lil Suzie's forthcoming 12" EP for YA later in the summer. Next up is The Dead Rose Music Company with a shimmering study in repetition that only adds to their laureled cloud of mystique. A driving pulse and infectious vocal snippet assure that 'Soothe My Mind' soars in both headphone and floor-tested settings. On the flip, Urulu brings down the lights and cranks up the diva on a soul-studded banger that burrows its way into the deepest psyche caverns. 'Missing You' balances grit with a glossed-out sheen personified by loopy lipstick signatures on rusted bathroom mirrors. Rounding out the affair is a dank and dirty collab between up-and-comers Grown Folk and LOL Boys. 'Ghost Path' exists deep in the acidic bowels of the night and guides its followers through uncharted terrains without a flashlight. Make sure to buckle up.

From the upcoming Array compilation on newcomer disco grovoid label Nang, here they pick 4 of the most vinyl friendly tracks. Things open up with a classic, "Magic Fly" from French, astro-disco pioneers Space. Here in its newly re-mastered fuller form.

Next up is Slovenian based Ichisan and Nakova getting nu disco with their electric bass swingfest "Pionir". Things get really interesting half way through with spy-like picked electric guitar lines.

100% bass heft guaranteed with the latest release from Dublin's !Kaboogie crew, featuring Ed Devane, Mad EP, The Banker and Sarsparilla. Hot off the release off his debut album 'Molten Membrane', Ed Devane brings the noise with the massive 'Playtime', one that's been tested at multiple parties the last few months with awesome results - just wait for the half-time drop! After mashing up the dance for !Kaboogie's club nights, Mad EP's 'Bass Crunchers' is a full booty workout that's sure to see some curious shapes develop on the floor. A master of mashups and bass-heavy programming, Dublin's Banker makes his vinyl debut with 'Badman'. This one's been killing it at parties, if you're wanting to get the place on a half-step skank, pack it. Finally - with two albums under his belt for Alphabet Set - Sarsparilla makes his !Kaboogie debut in style. Previously featured on his 'Karahee' CD, 'The Count' features his signature sharp production over some killer classic electro stylings.

"Anagram Jam" is a deeply covert production in the form of an album featuring 15 edits by two highly informed and inscrutable musical archivists. To cover their true identities these agents are using the anagramed pseudonyms Tandy Love and Mad Smooth, as a further clue they hail from the Manchester based label BMusic. The names of the track sources have been also been disguised so scrabble the rabble to reveal the mixed-up monikers of your new favourite freak-funk psychedelic song smiths. All tracks are de-pipped with minimal pith and added juicy bits. Maximized, marmalised, shredded and preserved using the finest ingredients from the fruitful pastures of our pear shaped planet. The album truly is an international affair combining elements from England, Korea, Turkey, Russia, France, Israel, India, America & Spain.

Keep Up! Records returns with another split single with its fifth installment in a series of 7" and 12"s. Tom Central features on the A side on a slightly different tack following the massive success of Akama, played by the likes of XFM's John Kennedy. Hillbrook Boogie features trademark heavy drums and big basslines, this time coupled a synth-based melodic approach. Retro sounds cut with low-slung modern disco boogie.

On the flipside Sega, Ave Blaste & Cosmo Lopez team up again after the sleeper hit Drakefield Soul on KEEP 002 supported by Nightmares on Wax. Again more electronic, this cut delves deeper, moving into the 80s soulful boogie-influenced sound. Oriental synth melodies dart around bubbling 303 basslines. Moody but upbeat with a nod to the vintage video-game sound.

Kanji Kinetic's future bass sounds have been causing shockwaves at parties worldwide. Mixing up beats from bassline & 4 4, dubstep and oldskool breakbeat hardcore like no-one else can, he has found support from heavyweights such as Mary Anne Hobbs and Tayo in the UK, and Drop The Lime and Starkey in the US. With a number of well-received releases on respected labels, his production skills are in high demand with a slew of high-profile remixes about to emerge, as well as brand new original material to destroy the party unlike anything before. For Horror Boogie, he has blessed us with "Citizens Unite", a raw, nasty bassquake, which has been obliterating dancefloors for some time now with its masterful drum programming, insane bass and THAT drum roll. THIS is what drumstep should sound like. Fedka the Irritant is probably best known as the trombonist in the excellent band Pest (Ninja Tune), alongside Ben Pest (Panic Bridge, Victim, Bonus Round). He's also a seriously original and versatile producer in his own right. He has released on Panic Bridge, alongside the other Pest members and his live "trombone techno" sets are something to behold. "Watch Them Get Killed" is wonky techno at its finest. Its tight drums, chopped up hip-hop vocals and the beautifully deranged, yet ferociously funky melody make this track seriously addictive. Expect to hear a lot more from this man on Horror Boogie Records in the not-too-distant future. Michael Forshaw has smashed many a rave with his live onslaught of fucked up electro, techno, rave and booty. He has released on many labels over the years such as Penalty, Miditonal, Flaw, his own imprint Chan 'n' Mikes and most recently, Coin Operated. "Cookietag McStarrwerk" is a live, mashed up, sample-laden (namely the classic "Whoomp! There it is" vocal) rave/breaks/booty monster and has been a staple of his recent live sets. Last and certainly not least, is the mighty Subhead. As a solo artist, Jason Leach has released on his own Death to Vinyl, Fix UK and Subhead imprints, alongside his work for Mercurochrome, Input Output Inc. and Don't. In total he has released well over 100 records, having also been involved in several notable collaborations. "Stefan Wolfe" is a driving, peak-time, techno juggernaut. Its atmospheric beginning hypnotises you into a false sense of security, before it hits you with a dose of raw energy - crunchy hi-hats, solid kicks and a funky-ass bassline, leading on to a finale of full-blown squelchy wrongness.

This double CD feast comprises 33 tracks featuring classics like Lemon D's 'I can't Stop', remixed by Zero T. New Brazilian signings; Level 2 and Acuna bring the heat out of Sao Paulo. Liquid V favorites, S.P.Y, Mosus and Kabuki, are joined by new boys, Tayla and Furney. Roni Size makes a guest appearance, showcasing new vocalist, Joe on 'Rolling Stone'. This is vintage Roni, on this cover of a classic Temptations track, reminiscent of when he first came onto the scene, chopping up tunes with a fresh approach. Fellow Bristol native, D Product joins forces with Hollie G who delivers her trademark smooth, yet hard vocals on 'Tell Me How'. Serum and Calibre also make guest appearances. On CD2 you can catch a few gems you might have missed in the full unmixed version, including Calibre's 'Drowning' Kabuki's 'Beyond Words and Mosus & Zero T 'Call Waiting'. CD2 is deeper in the vibe, and there are a couple of down-tempo tracks from the new blood; Eveson, Mosus and S.P.Y mixing up the flavour a little, but still keeping it Liquid. This is not just a collection of tunes; it is a complete album that showcases some of the finest D&B talent, both established and new. The track list is mighty, the compilation as a whole; even mightier.

Elijah & Skilliam are the DJ duo on Rinse FM who are hands down setting the pace for all others to follow in the current grime scene. Their show pulls in a huge audience every week, while their blog butterz.co.uk is widely recognised at the go-to place for all the best downloads, interviews and features on the scene's leading players. Elijah & Skilliam have been pivotal in moving the grime sound away from a predominantly MC-driven style, and into deeper areas where the emphasis is as strong on the production as it is on the vocal. In so doing they have helped bring in influences of dubstep, garage and funky, and it is this new hybridised strand of bass genetics which their Butterz label is putting in the spotlight. Their first release earlier this year was the limited and quickly-sold-out 'Bipolar EP' from Terror Danjah, and now the label has hooked up with Cargo for their second outing, bringing together three up and coming artists along with Terror Danjah one time again for a top value pack of four amazing productions. First up is a 2010 reworking of the classic 'Creepy Crawler' by Terror Danjah, 10 times more menacing than the original halftime 2004 grime hit. Royal T follows with 'Hot Ones Remix' - pulsing dancefloor grime at its finest, with awesome switches and hair-raising sub-bass undertow. SRC (Numbers, Rwina, No Hats No Hoods) opens side b with a reworking of the Nintendo 8-bit era influenced 'Goomba', the track that first brought him the attention of DJs such as Mary Anne Hobbs, Oneman, Brackles and Starkey. Finally, newcomer Mr Mitch closes the set with a colourful combination of lo-fi synths and rattling breaks on the catchily energetic 'Skittles'.

Global Bass Vol.3 is full of high quality global music, featuring the newly signed artistSuperpendejos, who with their splendid mixture of cumbia and deep grooves made it to many promenent DJ bags this summer with their track Ya Sta Qi. Silver Bullit with their tracks Koloko and The Meter show their potential on the tropical dancefloor with sounds from Africa and Jamaica mixed with fistfull of funk. Here reworked by Thykier and Superpendejos. Los Chicos Altos is a well known artist on UrbanWorld, their signature sound of afro-latin grooves is a firestarter on any dancefloor. Their tracks Senora Santana and Pa'lante gets them a potition between the absolute best in new latin music. Here together with Idan K and The Movement of Rhythm and Empresarios. Kosta Kostov's fusion beats are always a pleasure, from Balkan to Africa and Brazil, this man got it all. Mambesa is a groovy Kwaito track, and Kaduna Bass, with Dj Chernobyl on the remix, fuses Gnawa with Technobrega. Also featuring are tracks from the swinger Rube in a moombahton remix by Al Lindrum, and the Indonesian band Jalan Surabaya in dub by Dubpitaten.

October 2009 heralds the release of '5', a double CD marking Hyperdub's five years of life as a record label. Honouring past, present and future in equal measure, '5' is comprised of one disc of prior highlights, and one of freshly-composed material contributed by Hyperdub artists and close friends. A series of five 12-inch EPs featuring a selection of the new tunes will be issued, one per week, leading up to the release of '5'. The initial pressing quantity of these EPs will be dictated by preorder demand, and none will be repressed, nor will they be made available digitally, before the complete CD collection is on sale. 'Hyperdub 5.4 EP' contains two previously unreleased tracks : Martyn - 'Mega Drive Generation' and LD - 'Shake It'

Two and a half years after the conception of the club night, Illum Sphere and Jonny Dub launch their Hoya:Hoya label. Releasing exclusive music by artists who have played at the night, which happens fortnightly at seminal Manchester basement, The Roadhouse. Simply reading the list of past guests will provide an insight into the variety of music forthcoming on the imprint. The first split 12/ download is a purely family affair though, featuring the three producing residents, Illum Sphere, Lone and Krystal Klear.

Starting things of is co-founder Illum Sphere, with Sweat The Descent. A trip that was intended to be a take on UK Funky, which veered off to the left, and ended up being inspired by House as much as Disco, mutated into a sound that is characteristically hard to define by genre as any other of his releases.

The flip begins with Lones Let The Music Play, flexing the early sounds of Chicago House blended with the sounds of 90s rave, but done in such a way that only Matt Cutler can do. His recent releases on Actress Werk Discs and his own Magic Wire labels should let you into the world that this new Hoya recruit is going.

Rounding things off is Krystal Klear, modern boogie resident in chief. Persuaded Me is at home at LA summer parties, such as The Do Over as it is in a sweaty Manchester basement. Heavily influenced by 80s boogie, but treated with the respect only a real fan could, and brought oh-so up to date.

This dubstep / grime / 4x4 / garage EP first dropped in October last year, laying down a clear marker for the varied styles which Frijsfo Beats was set up to support. Writing in The Wire, the Bass Generation's verbal blade Joe Muggs opined "Over recent years, a fertile territory is opening up where current bass music and the free party scene intersect, drawing from Grime, DJ Trace style dark Techstep, Vex'd at their most melodramatic and the sharper edges of breakbeat honed by Tipper and Amon Tobin. Labels like Blackmass Plastics have staked claims here, and now so is Bristol/Cambridge enterprise Frijsfo, with big, glossy Blade Runner-style tracks from Chav & Dave and Innasekt. More interesting, though, is the flickering, skittering Boxcutter-like unfolding narrative of Lewis Hunter's 'Cut From The Wreckage' in which bass thrums and breakbeat flutters surge in and out of existence like ghostly electrical storms. But the real prize here is Yapsta's 'Zoompy Riddum', which foregrounds the retro-rave strategies innate in current Bassline House, bringing out a womblike warmth with ecstatic pads and voices but avoiding becoming too cuddly by retaining Bassline's brisk bass-warping and threatening detuned arcade bleeps."

Heralding the next wave of underground bass music to fans across the USA and beyond, San Francisco's Frite Nite label - captained by psychedelic bass traveller Salva - has teamed up with rising star beat connoisseur Ana Sia to deliver sounds of the new North American underground on the 'Surreal Estate' compilation. Advancing past the more overcooked styles in US electronic music, Ana Sia has championed big stages and basement clubs with a melting pot of new sounds unique to her and the league of artists featured on this new full-length session. 'Surreal Estate' is a 17 track collection of tribal-influenced spacey dance grooves, progressive footwork, modern electro funk, and UK-centric dubstep rhythms, composed by an anticipated cast of North American producers, carefully selected and mixed by Ana Sia. Exploring the atmospheric and ethereal, yet bass-heavy, funky and playfully musical, the mix shows Ana Sia's passion for music that works as well for the dance floor as it does the intimate listen. This exclusive collection contains bleeding-edge tracks from some of the finest production minds from both American coasts such as Sepalcure, Starkey, XI, Distal, Ghosts On Tape and DJG, as well as Ana Sia's crew taking over the western front with artists like Salva, Eprom, Kuru & UFO!, B.Bravo, NastyNasty and Epcot. 'Surreal Estate' is Frite Nite's first venture into the realm of physical product, and speaks loud to both brand new bass music enthusiasts as well as seasoned ears eagerly anticipating a paradigm shift in underground dance and beat culture

The idea of a musical compilation for children took seed little by little. Initially envisioned as an extension of the role of their starry-eyed little miss DJ, the project soon took a much more universal turn. The basic concept, of a music compilation for babies and pregnant women, was rapidly enriched by the work and influence of the many artists involved to the project. They fed their influence, respective capabilities and style into the mix, and the result: we are taken in by the Quenums African rythms and enchanted by an electronic nursery rhyme from DJ Lad.

Their double compilation - a dynamic mix of musical material - was forged around two principal themes - the first, awakening and motion, is soberly entitled "Wake Up", and the other, based around sleep and bedtime is entitled, of course, "Sleep Well". The link between these two contrasting themes is, of course, the world of children, but it is also that of electronic music production. That is, music based on computer programming (even if, in some cases, there might be some analogue intruments involved). Sonic creative freedom gave life to an uncomparable patchwork of influences, creating a extraordinary musical toy, and quite surprisingly, an effective pedagogical tool, that opens up kids minds, as well as those of their parents, to an unexpected facet of electronic music, where it meets the magical world of childrens imagination - let yourself be swept away.

Je M'en Fish is one of Belgium's largest and most active organisations working in the field of electronic music. Having produced numerous compilation CDs and DVDs, and staged countless live events over the last decade, it evolved into a fully-fledged vinyl and digital label in 2010. Their programme of 12" releases spotlights the young and growing pool of Belgian talent in dubstep and bass production, and the first pressing to enter into wider distribution in partnership with Cargo is a head-turning three tracker that combines rhythmic elegance with full-on floor-burning impact. Opening the show is Janner's 'Proteus', a driving uptempo number that has a ring of Frankie Bones-style early 90s hip-house within its insistent 2-step rhythm, while the ghost of speed garage also makes its presence felt. Coloured by bright descending keys, this track's real power comes from a looping and pyschedelically shifting sub-bass riff that eschews dark moodiness in favour of a more rich and flavourful vibe, while the swung drum patterns keep a steadily infectious dancefloor energy. Belgian master of the bass art BunZer0 follows with a new VIP remix of 'Second Meeting', the original version of which appeared on the first Je M'en Fish 12". This track combines a stuttering heavy kick drum with jazzy elastic bass fills, chiming Italo-house piano chords, and multi-layered futuristic synth melodies, to create an almost euphoric interpretation of low-end dance. Finally, Manouvre contributes 'Mr Moody's Morning Madness', an echoing and spacious cut which is most emphatically all about the drums. The delayed and decaying techno stabs and complex stepper drums come together to conjour up images of Maurizio remixed in double-time by Patrick Pulsinger. Ultimately, 'Je M'en Fish 002 EP' showcases a trio of diverse, intelligent and uniquely European perspectives on today's club-tooled bass music scene.

If you think the title of this DVD sounds like a struggling foreigner's attempt to describe his trip to New York during the formative years of a cultural revolution, you would be spot on. Filmed in New York City in 1986, 'Big Fun In The Big Town' chronicles the emerging hip hop culture through the lens of an upstart Dutch filmmaker named Bram Van Splunteren. Armed with nothing more than a camera crew and vague understanding of English, Van Splunteren's fearless excursion led him to the gritty landscapes of Harlem, South Bronx, and the Lower East Side during the peak years of the 1980s crack epidemic, a backdrop which proved to be the incubator for a breeding ground for hip hop pioneers. Bram happened to be in the right place at the right time. Putting his own personal safety at risk, he travelled to remote locations in neighbourhoods where no outsiders were normally allowed, capturing the essence of that time and place, while also managing to get interviews with and footage of rap heavyweights and emerging artists, many of whom now refered to as legends. The amazing scenes include a 17 year old LL Cool J greeting the crew from the doorstep of his grandmother's apartment (where he still lived), Chicago's Mystery Crew trying to snag a meeting with Russell Simmons outside the small offices of Def Jam on the same day Van Splunteren happened to be interviewing him, DMC freestyling to an unreleased beat on the cassette deck of his brand new and first Cadillac, and a still skinny Biz Markie beatboxing for Roxanne Shante on stage. Released for the first time ever in a physical format, 'Big Fun In The Big Town' is a must-see, must-own for any true rap historian, and a window into a time and place many of us can now only learn about through study. Travel back to where it all began and relive the inspiring struggle of hip hop music all over again. Running Time : 41:28. Region-Free DVD.

Another limited 12" sampler from the Turntables On The Hudson crew, leading up to the brand new compilation CD celebrating their monthly Friday residency at NYC's Cielo club. This party platter features more of the sounds and artists that have been dropped by Nickodemus and friends on the big Funktion One sound-system over the last eight years! Things kick off with Mr.Scruff's infamous 'Pickled Spider', a ripping dubstepper of track with huge wobbly bass and delayed female vocals urging all dancers to the floor. Next up is 'Dub For Mali' by San Fran's own Pleasuremaker (of the Afrolicious crew), featuring Yacouba Diarra on vocals and Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza weighing in on some extra production. To the flip, SUMO's 'Zwakalani' could be one of the party's most heavily spun tunes since it was released five years ago, with it's booming drums, guitar licks, and uplifting vocals. Clocking in last on the 12" is 'Lovesick' by T.O.T.H. family-friend Mariella, remixed into a deep boogie-house vibe with heavy bass for the clubs by Mark De-Clive Lowe.

Not so long ago it used to be the case that if you wanted to hear cumbia you went to Colombia and if you wanted to hear Roma gypsy music you went to the Balkans and if you wanted to hear reggae and dub you went to the Caribbean. Now the boundaries are truly breaking down at last. World music is dead. Long live the new age of Global Bass!

"Anagram Jam" is a deeply covert production in the form of an album featuring 15 edits by two highly informed and inscrutable musical archivists. To cover their true identities these agents are using the anagramed pseudonyms Tandy Love and Mad Smooth, as a further clue they hail from the Manchester based label BMusic. The names of the track sources have been also been disguised so scrabble the rabble to reveal the mixed-up monikers of your new favourite freak-funk psychedelic song smiths. All tracks are de-pipped with minimal pith and added juicy bits. Maximized, marmalised, shredded and preserved using the finest ingredients from the fruitful pastures of our pear shaped planet. The album truly is an international affair combining elements from England, Korea, Turkey, Russia, France, Israel, India, America & Spain.

Repping the Dublin bass-centric sound, our toppermost friends at the City Discs store launch the !Kaboogie label with four tracks of bottom-heavy dancefloor wreckers from Ireland's most cracked low-end producers. First up, Prince Kong is a man on a mission to blow up the dance. A tough ragga riddim underlies his track 'Rise Up', with MC Jah Balance calling for all to do like the title says as the breaks kick in the door. Guaranteed to get the place heaving, wherever the place is. Next come Lakker, who have been described as "one of the best electronic acts in Ireland" by the Journal of Music in Ireland, and after a run through 'Unexpected Error', it's clear how they earned this accolade, thanks to paranoia-inducing swathes of darkstyle bass combined with fast-paced beats for a pure nightmare scenario. Flipside, 16 Hertz makes his vinyl debut with the massive '16 Tons', a beast of a track that combines half-step percussion with a huge brass riff. Belfast's Thatboytim closes the EP with 'Past The End', a bass-heavy booty electro-jak tune, featuring a haunting vocal line, and undeniably the most intriguing of the four pieces on show here. This crunching 12" will hit the spot for fans of The Bug, Cardopusher, Rusko, Gunjack, and Kid 606... 300 copies only... insert you own tired Guiness and shamrock puns here.

WAX ON records have shaped up to become a healthy, vibrant and well respected imprint for honest music, stirring things up with some impeccable releases. This time around, label boss E.A.S.E. (NIGHTMARES ON WAX) has not only gathered more impressive musical talent, but is also responsible for the final mixdown of a lot of tunes featured on NIGHTMARES ON WAX presents WAX ON records vol. 2.
This 3 track vinyl sampler, pre cursing the 2nd volume of the WAX ON compilation album, gives an outlook on what to expect. First up lounge music legends THE DEADBEATS come correct with the soopaslammin Got What I Want, a dope dance track as funky as this summer's going to get. Look out for The Deadbeats album Made In The Shade due for release on WAX ON in august.
Leeds based future soulman NEGGHEAD proves his skills with his beat laden tune 'Build It Up', setting the sails for his much demanded solo album Scrambled Negg, coming in autumn. Finally sound wizard HUNGRYGHOST (the latest addition to the WAX ON family) takes things deeper and higher at the same time with his superb headnodder K_STA.

2Dogs records with a limited edition 7" featuring 2 certified club bangers. First up No Fakin' DJs and Diesler with 'The Rumpshaker'. A twisting bassline and heavy drum break with extra sprinklings of flavour creates a unique dancefloor monster that gives a little nod to Shut up and Dance, the Ragga Twins, Go Go and Nervous Records. Next up Fingathing's Peter Parker AKA Parkertron makes a rare solo excursion delivering a modern funk anthem. 'Deadly DIY' was lovingly crafted on his MPC2000xl chopping up a just few samples to create an authentic live sounding, full bodied Funk record

n 2009, an album called 'Starship 27' emerged out of nowhere like a UFO sighting. That album was curated by producer and DJ J-1 aka The Deer (who also drums in Master Blaster, his bandmates being Dam Funk and Computer Jay), and this time around on Vol. 2 he has expanded the list of tracks and producers to include contributions by Dam Funk, DiBiase, P.U.D.G.E., Devonwho, Kone, Ras-G, and House Shoes to name only a few of the most progressive musicians on the funkscape of Los Angeles.18 tracks of all-original unreleased music on a double wax set limited to 1,000 copies.

Black Sun' started life as a ceremonially torched copy of The Sun newspaper and ended up as a weirdly euphoric, smeared synth workout that Kode9 has been mixing in his recent "funky" sets. Wavering and pitch-bent tones wind their way around a broken rhythm, while the bassline bubbles manically from beneath. '2 Far Gone', on the flip, similarly sends recent strains of UK house rhythm into modulating analogue drone. Sounds like 9's been drinking acid rain. Whatever this is, we're not sure where it came from and don't quite have words to describe it yet. Nor do we need them.

Switching up the styles again, this Hyperdub release features two off-beat, house flavoured dubs driven along by crushed synth piano hooks. The tag team between Kode9 and LD (dub-cutter extraordinaire from the legendary Transition studios in South London) brings percussion and cut-up, filtered female vocals back into the mix. The A-side 'Bad' has been circulating on dubplate since the beginning of 2008 and has been a dancefloor friendly favourite from Kode9's DJ sets. The flip '2Bad' sounds like 'Bad's' little sister, a slower slice of broken house laced with synthetic soul, and that little extra underneath the pavement that you can always expect from Hyperdud.

New EP on Numbers from the elusive North London funky production duo Ill Blu. 'Meltdown' ripples into earshot with fast paced congas rolling endlessly, flamming with intent, before the bomb like mid range tweaked bass line explodes and the kick drum pound really takes hold. Adding swelling strings and tremeloed melodics 'Meltdown' progresses into something a little more pensive, before the switch returns and that b-line drops in hard again. 'Overdose' wheels out one of those naggingly insistent Scratcha DVA-esque, nursery rhyme like lead lines - one of those that worms its way into everything you do for hours after you hear it. And it's the same combination of simple sound banks and borderline maddening melodies that dominate 'Chelt', its rasping open snare snapping out under the hard stabs and choppy flickers of percussive texture.

After the 8-bit cult classic success of his debut Hyperdub release, which surprised dancefloors around the world in late 2007 and continues to do so today, Tokyo's Quarta 330 returns with some fresh beats to crown the close of 2008. Both tracks were previewed in clipped form on the recent BBC Radio 1 Hyperdub Showcase. On 'Sabacco', Quarta takes one step outside of the video game console, expanding his palette, with his signature synths lacing scattered, highly-swung snares in a lush and melodic slice of broken techno. On the flip, Mr. 330 steps up to remix renegade Venezuelan bassman Cardopusher, with a refix of 'Homeless' that returns to the crunchy arcade vibes of 'Sunset Dub' and the '9 Samurai' remix' showcased on his previous release. A strong outing that adds bonus points to his earlier Hyperdub high score.

Airhorn!! After months of technical strife accompainied by much gnashing of teeth, the "missing" Funkystepz 12" is finally in the place and heading your way this week, available to the public's collective sweaty mitts from February 6th. All original pre-orders will be filled, and here's the info again to jog your memory ... Funkystepz return to Hyperdub, their debut 12" 'Fuller' / 'Hurricane Riddim' having detonated dancefloors earlier in 2011. It's rare to find an act who's name describes so functionally what their intention is and how they are going to get there, and their ruff but complex productions and DJ sets are incredible at raising energy and getting bodies moving in a way that so much modern dancefloor music just doesn't. These three tracks are straight up dancefloor destroyers, almost overloaded with energy. 'Trouble' is exactly that; with martial stomping kick drums, whistles, a tough, infectious melody line, and chords like a skidding car, this tune is built to bounce to. 'Dirty Dutch' has structure that breaks down and breaks up again, playing question and answer between a twilight zone style melody, a wiggly, scratched in test-tone, a grime-styled violin melody, and rapid-fire drums and claps. 'John Wayne' is so bow-legged that it almost falls over, made of loose, galloping drums with a backward drunken melody and skippy snares, a hilarious repetition of the words 'John Wayne', a rollin sub, and a spacey breakdown. It's really fun, strangely surreal and massively compelling on the dancefloor.

As a seductive taster and spectral glimpse of the forthcoming King Midas Sound full length, 'Dub Heavy - Hearts And Ghosts' is an EP of three of that album's tracks dubbed into new alien versions. King Midas Sound is the duo of Kevin Martin, known for his groundbreaking work over the last decade as The Bug, teamed with Roger Robinson, reputed writer and spoken word performer. The pair first worked together in 2003 on The Bug's 'Pressure' album, but within these King Midas grooves, the visceral drive characteristic of The Bug's fevered sound is replaced by deeper core energies, and graced with Robinson's gentle soul lilt, the combination is blissfully, crushingly powerful. On these tunes, song structure and vocal are intoxicated with unsettling fx and consumed with reverb, pressing the music into haunting and unfamiliar territory. 'I Dub' marries booming bass and gaseous echo to grime hand-claps and a tense chilling melody. Centrepiece 'Ting Dub' fuses ominous distant sirens, shifting vocal streams, decelerated hip hop boom bap and a geologic subsonic rumble into a wraith-like miasma, while on 'Too Long Dub', the sinister chiming pendulum motif and decaying vocals dissolve into a delirious haze of toxic audio reflections. Burning like an endless fuse, this special release will be available only for a limited period, pressed on high grade 180g heavy guage vinyl, and is also Hyperdub's first ever individually artworked 12", housed in a photo jacket with gold-embossed detail.

This new single features two of the most upfront tracks from King Midas Sound's forthcoming album project 'Without You', featuring re-voiced and re-versioned mutations of their debut album 'Waiting For You'. Side A is a mix of 'Goodbye Girl' by Kuedo aka former Vex'd producer Jamie Teasdale, who drags the original's domestic melodrama through a fatigued waltz of droning synths and stumbling drums. Side AA carries a radical new take on 'Earth A Kill Ya' by Mala from Digital Mystikz. He smothers Kiki's voice and dubs out Roger's lyrics to their most dread components, leaving strands of the original song lost at sea in sub bass and drowning in toxic chords and dusty reverbed drum blasts.

King Midas Sound is Kevin 'The Bug' Martin and the angelically-voiced Roger Robinson, who first came together on The Bug's 2003 Rephlex LP 'Pressure'. With Martin taking a more blissed out, but equally deranged approach from that of his new epic Bug album 'London Zoo', the King Midas Sound is 21st Century jilted lovers rock. First surfacing on Kode9's Sonar mix from the summer of 2007, and heavily in demand ever since then, 'Cool Out' is finally getting the release we've all been holding our breath and turning purple for. If that wasn't enough, this EP also features two previews from the forthcoming King Midas Sound album, in the form of remixes by two producers known for sending their off-beats into orbit. Graced and defined by Roger's sweet, sweet vocals, 'Cool Out' is a hymn to the ever persistent ghosts and mutations of Jamaican sound system culture. The remixes of 'Lost' and 'One Ting' on the flipside take that same spirit into hip hop peripheries. Dabyre's rendition of 'One Ting' laces his funk with unexpected and shrill shards of early Detroit techno, while Flylo captures the essence of 'Lost' with a suicidal Japanese monologue and dysfunctional bleeps and crunches. Another tale of the unexpected from Hyperdub and taster of the forthcoming KMS album due later in 2008.

Ossie is a 22 year old producer from East London, who's debut EP 'Tarantula' came out earlier this year on the Lightworks label. His follow-up for Hyperdub is a three tracker of percussive house and beats, which is contemporary while giving a nod to the pioneers of electronic soul and fusion of the 70s and 80s. The EP starts with 'Set The Tone'. It's been a feature of Kode9's sets for about six months now, and doesn't fail to get bodies moving. The track opens with a dazzling lattice of latin percussion over a driving, off beat kick drum, before the song breaks into an infectious vocoder accompanied by lush Rhodes chords. It's one of those songs that manages to mix the worlds of dance music abstraction and catchy song writing without falling into obvious tropes. 'The Power Of Love' mixes similar elements in a completely different way, zoning into a more Masters At Work vibe. Here a short vocoder repeat and swelling synths roll out over a big bassline and a swung garagish drum pattern, but it's the depth of production that really builds the intensity here, as unexpected elements such as huge orchestral strings and spooked synth lines are woven in and out. Finally, on a completely different tip, is 'Moves', slower but still perhaps even more danceable. If it wasn't for its rasping, grimey bassline, and some classic house strings and xylophone towards the end , it could be mistaken for a long lost Sa-Ra dub or the instrumental for an R&B classic.